


OUAT - Puss In Boots (Season 1)

by MechaHax



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Cat to Human Transformation, Gen, Homelessness, I swear I am making these tags up as I go along, Intrigue, Magic, Mystery, Once Upon A Time, Originally from my Wattpad Account, Parking Lot Knock-Outs, Rumpelstiltskin Contract, Shapeshifting, Storybrooke, Teenage Thief, The Enchanted Forest, Theft, awesomeness, british accent, criminal, pickpocket
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-02-12 14:20:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12961194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MechaHax/pseuds/MechaHax
Summary: Kitty Rucker is a thief. A damn good one.Known throughout Storybrooke for being elusive, scheming and a charming little troublemaker, she is constantly finding herself in deeper trouble by the second.However, the tale behind her story is much more complex as a twisted string of lies, deceit and a little bit of magic tumble into place to form her fate.[Transferred from my Wattpad Account under the same account name]





	1. STORYBROOKE

**Author's Note:**

> INDEX LINK: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12932874/chapters/29635182

It was an average early morning in Storybrooke. Everyone was going about the same business they did every morning, one event in particular that morning being relatively interesting...

"HEY! STOP!!"

A young girl in battered old boots sped across the street past the docks, pursued by Sheriff Graham shouting after her.

"STOP RIGHT NOW!!"  
"NOT A CHANCE, MATE!!"

He sighed as he ran after her. This was a frustrating activity, to say the least...

 **\- 15 Minutes Later** -

"Name...?"  
"You know my name..."

Sheriff Graham sighed as he finished writing up the paperwork.

"Kitty Rucker... Age?"  
"16."  
"Charged with Petty Theft." He put the pen down on his desk "Again."  
"Oh come on, Sheriff! Lighten up! It's not like I'm going to amount to anything more serious than that."  
"You're in there every single morning, Kitty. You need to stop."

Kitty leaned against the bars of the cell. It was true. She was a kleptomaniac thief and had a habit of getting herself into trouble. This time, she'd gone and stolen a wallet from someone outside the old Library. The alarm had almost instantly been raised and she had led the Sheriff on a quarter of an hour-long chase across town. She smiled at Graham with a charm only a criminal could muster in this sort of situation. Once he had finished up the report he unlocked the cell and escorted the girl out.

"Alright... Now promise, you are going to stay out of trouble for the day?"  
"I promise..." She spoke with a childlike sarcasm. Chances of her keeping that promise were extremely unlikely.  
"I'm gonna let you go with this one but I'm telling you, this has to stop."  
"Hey! I'm opportunistic. The lady had her back turned and the rest is history."  
"Yeah, well you aren't doing your future any favors. You dropped out of school. You have a criminal record..."  
"What's the point of it all though, eh? I don't want to be stuck in a building all day bored out of my brains!"  
"Just stop arguing or so help me you'll be back in that cell."

**\- 1 Hour Later -**

Kitty sat laid back in a leisurely position on a brick wall not far away from the center of town. She looked up with dark-rimmed eyes at the pale grey and blue sky, breathing calmly out of boredom.

"Hey, Kitty!"  
"Hmm?"

She turned her head slightly to see a familiar, friendly face looking up at her from the sidewalk.

"Oh hey, Henry! How're you doing?"  
"Same as always."  
"Say, how's the story coming along?"  
"Huh? Oh, you mean the book?"  
"Yeah. Still, think I'm Puss In Boots?"  
"Of course you are! You like cats, you wear boots..."  
"I'm a manipulative pain in the butt?"  
"Err..."  
"Don't worry, Henry. It isn't an insult if it's true... Which it sorta is."

She smirked at the little boy on the sidewalk. Henry was nice. For the Mayor's kid, he was good-natured and kind, but Kitty always saw the little rebellious streak in him. It was fair to say Regina wasn't exactly Mom of the Year.

"Henry!" Another voice called over the air. "There you are!"

Both Kitty and Henry turned a little to see a man approaching with receding red hair and an umbrella tapping along as he walked along with his faithful Dalmatian friend.

"Oh, hey Archie." Henry smiled whilst Kitty laid her head back a little, her wild hair curling around in all directions. Dr. Hopper seemed to take great pride in attempting to fix other people's emotional issues and most likely saw Kitty as the ultimate challenge.

The girl could be a stubborn ass sometimes and with such issues such as skipping school on a damn nigh daily basis and kleptomania paired with manipulative lying and a sharp wit, solving her issues would be like Christmas.

"Miss Rucker. Lovely surprise to see you this morning!"  
"Dr. Hopper, Pleasure as never."

Archie smiled and chuckled a little at her subtle approach to letting people know she wasn't much of a people person. The only person she did talk to without insulting them was Henry.

"Henry, I just wanted to remind you about our appointment today."  
"I know Archie. Thanks."  
"And Miss Rucker, I heard about what happened with Sheriff Graham. You know that if you ever want to talk, my door is always open."  
"Thanks for the offer, Archie, but no thanks. I'm fine."  
"Well, I won't force you. Take care. See you later, Henry."  
"Bye Archie!"

And so he continued walking down the street. Kitty took no pleasure in considering his potential lectures on morality, ethics and the like. She just did what she did to survive the day. Nothing more, nothing less.

"I'll see you later, Kitty. I should go before my Mom finds out I'm here."  
"Okay, kid. See you around."

And with that, Henry left as well, leaving her to continued sitting on that wall for a long while, staring up at the cold sky. She still smirked at the idea of being a cat. Being able to roam free on the streets without giving a damn what anyone thought. Eat whatever you want and never have to pay a dime.

A cat's life seemed alright from her perspective.


	2. THE ENCHANTED FOREST

It was a dark day in one corner of the realm.  
A much-beloved father had passed away peacefully in his sleep.

His three sons all sat in their homestead mourning their loss. Having already lost their mother long ago, they now were alone. The two eldest sons were fairly upset, however, they had gained between them the Farm and their only donkey.  
The youngest, however, lamented at how he had been left with nothing but the family cat, Tabitha.

She had her uses, but keeping the house free of mice was not exactly going to give him much at all in the long run.

"Stop looking so glum, Brother. Father obviously gave you that cat for a reason."  
"I wish he wasn't so damn cryptic about it. You both have ways of creating a living and a future for yourselves. What in hell's name am I supposed to do with her?"

He gestured desperately at the brown tabby cat asleep on his lap.

"You could always sell her off and use the money to buy yourself something more useful." The second brother jeered.

The youngest looked forlorn as despite knowing his lack of inheritance, he was still fond of the cat. His father had gotten the kitten 2 years ago to keep the rats and mice at bay... Which Tabitha certainly did. However, the youngest brother was the only one who really cared for the little feline.

After the two eldest brothers had left for the local tavern to drown their sorrow, the youngest stayed behind to continue mulling over his future prospects.

"My brothers will probably be able to earn an honest livelihood," he sighed "But though you may be able to feed yourself by catching mice, I shall certainly die of hunger..."

He looked at the cat as she lay curled up upon his lap, purring softly with her black-rimmed eyes closed fast asleep.

"Seems like your having a bit of trouble, Dearie."

The brother turned his head in surprise and jolted upwards at the sight of a devilish imp leaning by the hearth, knocking Tabitha off his lap. The minute she awoke, she took one look at the imp and began hissing and bearing her teeth. This was surprising since she'd never been the violent sort towards anything larger than a rat.

"W... Who Are You?!" The brother stuttered in shock.  
"Ah, sorry. I suppose coming in unannounced was a little rude of me. Correction! Very rude of me. Rumplestiltskin at your service."

The imp took a deep and theatrical bow as Tabitha continued to show aggressive behavior towards their intruder.

"Hush, Kitty." The imp snarled at her but she still appeared to glare at him angrily.  
"W... What do you want?"  
"What do I want?" The imp laughed in a maniacal manner coming closer to the brother. "I think the question should be... What do you want?"  
"Pardon?"  
"I'm here to make a deal with you, my boy. Y'see... I heard what happened to your dear old dad and I thought you were treated a bit shabbily when it came to the troublesome matter of inheritance. I'm here to turn your luck right around."  
The brother looked at him wide-eyed, barely believing his luck.

"What do I have to do?"  
"Ooo-hoo, eager, aren't we? Careful, dearie... this deal concerns magic... And all magic comes with a price."  
"I am willing to pay if it gives me and Tabitha a better future."  
"Oh well, that's good, because Kitty here is the key to solving all your problems!"

Again the brother was wide-eyed in disbelief. Tabitha continued to try and stay between the imp and her master.  
"How is Tabitha going to help me?"  
"With these!" In a puff of smoke, he produced a fine leather pair of heeled boots in his hand, much too small for any human but...

"Put them on your cat, and she will be able to fix all of your troubles."  
"How?"

"You'll see soon enough, dearie. Soon enough. Now of course, as I said... All magic has a price."  
The brother's awe-inspired disbelief fell back to a feeling of being downtrodden.  
"It appears I don't have anything of equal worth to give you though, sir. All I have is Tabitha."  
"Oh no no no no, I don't wish for material wealth, boy. Simply that once your... Puss In Boots has fulfilled her purpose... You must let her go free."

"What?"  
"Well, you will no doubt have found everything you desire at the end of this little venture, so in the end, think of it not as giving her up but... A parting of ways. You never know... She may be the one to make the decision for you. All I can say is, you will no longer be her master at the end of it. Until then, as long as the enchantment on Kitty's boots here is working, she will be able to help you."

Tabitha almost appeared to look at the imp warily as the imp produced in his free hand a long scroll of parchment.

"All you've got to do... is just sign on the line."

As soon as brother took the parchment, the imp also produced a quill for him. The brother signed quickly and returned it, an evil smile upon the imp's face as he traded the tiny boots for the contract.  
"Pleasure doing business with you. Now, let's see your feline friend here in her new shoes."

The brother then quickly kneeled down on the floor with the boots.  
"Come on, Tabitha."

Cautiously, the cat took one glance at the imp before allowing herself to be coaxed into placing her back paws into the boots.  
As soon as her paws were comfortably placed in the boots, a cloud of magic began to form around her. The imp looked on with a smirk on his face as the brother stood back in surprise as the cat began to grow... taller.

Her limbs become elongated as claws became fingers and toes and her pointed ears and long tail faded away into her body, her whiskers replaced with a light sprinkling of freckles. Her fur coat receded and a simple loose corseted dress materialized around her as she grew a short scruffy head of hair that barely touched her shoulders. Around her neck hung the loose orange and brown scarf that was once her collar. The only detail that appeared to remain was the boots which seemed to have grown to fit her new human size.

She stood there for about five seconds in shock before attempting to step forward until she fell over.

"Ow!" She screamed as she landed face first on the wooden floor, causing a slight giggle to escape from the imp. "Oh don't worry, my dear. You'll get used to the legs soon enough!"  
"What in-" She stopped as she realized her ability to speak in a Human tongue. "What did you do to me?!"  
"I made you human. Now you can help you master fulfill his dreams, And at the end of it, you're free to be a human forever."  
"And what if I preferred being a cat? When was my opinion considered in any of this?!"  
"Because you were a cat. And people don't listen to things which don't speak."

He smirked as anger flared in her eyes and she instantly got up, attempting to pounce on him. However before she could tear his eyes out, he disappeared into another cloud of smoke.

She was now a human, trapped in this body for as long as this curse would last.


	3. STORYBROOKE

Another day, another morning in a prison cell. However this time it was... different.

Once again, Kitty had pickpocketed someone outside the old Library, only to be chased down the usual route by Graham and, this time... a new face.

A blonde woman in a red leather jacket had cut her off halfway down her usual escape route as Graham caught up behind. She'd only shown up in town a few days ago. Not long after the clock tower in town started working again. Funny how coincidences work out.

Kitty reclined on the prison bed, watching the newcomer leaning against the wall near the door. Graham had gone to collect something so she had been left to keep an eye on the "delinquent". She looked over at Kitty with a knowing look.  
"I'm gonna take a guess and say you swing by here a lot then?"

Kitty smirked. "Yup. Every morning." There was an unmissable amount of pride in those three words and not an ounce of visible shame.  
"Mustn't look good on your record..." There was a small chuckle from the cell as she sat up a little.  
"Yeah, well... You do what you can to survive in this world, I suppose" the smirk remained.  
"Bit nihilistic..." "I prefer the term "existentialist" personally."

Kitty swung her legs around so she was sat upright on the bed and scooted over to the iron bars of her cell, arms just thin enough to slip through the bars to hold out her hand to the stranger.

"Name's Kitty Rucker." The woman stepped forward to shake her hand "Emma."  
"Nice to meet you. So... new in town?" "Yeah. Just arrived about week ago."

The girl retracted her hand from the bars and sat cross-legged on the end of the cell bed as Emma pulled up a seat. "How long have you been here then. You don't really sound like you're from around here..."  
"Family was from out of town I suppose. Probably picked it up there and it's been stuck ever since I suppose" She shrugged and laughed at someone actually taking note of her peculiar British accent for once "Anyways... Enough about me... You, madam, deserve a medal."

"Why's that?" Emma looked surprised as Kitty leaned closer to the cell bars. "Always take that same route around the back to get out of the Sheriff's way. Everytime. He's never once thought of cutting me off before and then here you come in and catch me on the first go. Usually takes a quarter of an hour for him so nice one breaking his record."

Emma cracked a smile for a minute at the remark. "You do know that isn't exactly something to be proud of, right?"  
"Like I said... We do what we must" Kitty winked slyly before leaning back again as Graham entered. "Mornin'!" She practically beamed at him with a criminal charm as the sheriff sighed with the keys ready in his hand.

"Report's already written up." He spoke directly to Emma as he walked over to unlock the cell. Kitty stretched and stood up, smiling at Graham as she prepared to exit the establishment.

"You're letting her go?" Emma inquired as the cell was opened. "Yeah... the victim didn't want to press charges so she's free to go... again." The door was opened and the girl exited. "Thaaank you." She immediately headed towards the door with a Graham escorting her out once again with the same dialogue as usual.

"Alright... Now promise, you are going to stay out of trouble for the day?"  
"I promise..."

However, she turned back towards the blonde behind her and smiled with a sly little wave. "Seeya around, Emma!"

Things in Storybrooke were about to get a little more interesting.


	4. THE ENCHANTED FOREST

A new body brings many challenges. Especially when you are used to the body of a cat.  
Heightened senses, agility, flexibility, balance... all gone and replaced with a clumsy, bipedal lump of flesh and meat wrapped up in a mess of cloth and corset.

Tabitha had been sat in the barn for about an hour, sulking. She hated this new form. She couldn't reach her favorite spot where she liked to hide and catch mice (The lack of claws made the climb excruciatingly difficult.) and this new body also wasn't very adept at killing anything in terms of rodent-like either.

She had felt a bit sorry for her master having received nothing but herself as an inheritance but thanks to his foolishness, they were now both going to starve. If it wasn't for that damn...

"Yoo-hoo!"

Immediately she looked up to the highest haystack in the barn where the intruding noise had emanated and just as quickly all her remaining senses fired angrily. The imp smiled, obviously enjoying her misery as she tensed, attempting to get up from the ledge but deciding against lest her new body fall over the edge with the elegance of a brick.

"Having fun sulking, dearie?"  
"What do you want?" Her voice, despite her lack of using/ever needing it, was stern and laced with the kind of hatred only a born feline is ever capable of.  
"Oh, just wanted to see how you were getting on. The new body suits you... Especially the boots."

She never took her eyes off of him but remembered the cursed boots. Admittedly, they were comfortable, but the price of them made her hate them. She'd tried removing them and the curse had not lifted. She was stuck as a human. Thanks to that damn imp.

"Any ideas on how you're going to help your master? I mean... The poor soul only really has you at the minute and by the looks of it... well, you aren't doing a great lot of good, kitty." There was an evil sounding laugh at the end of that, causing her anger to simmer as she tensed up.  
"No thanks to you, Bastard!" She snapped, "Because of you cursing me, we're both going to starve!"

The imp tutted and waved his finger at her mockingly. "Ooo temper temper! You should be a little more polite, I could've cursed you to become aaaanything I wanted for the poor lad! I did say you would help him get out of his predicament. You would've made a nice table to sell, or a horse, or a..."

"SHUT UP AND CHANGE ME BACK!!!" She shouted again with a feline rage, hitting the wooden boards beside her and startling the imp out of his mischievous nature, leading him to take on a more sinister tone.  
"What would you give me if I did, dearie?"  
She took a few rage-fueled breathes before answering. "What do you want?"

Immediately, the imp fell backward off the haystack he was sitting on with a sinister chuckle, only to show up again a second later leaning against the bale next to her. This almost startled her into falling off the ledge again.

"There are a few things we could do, I suppose... but I'll probably have to do something with the boots again..." "And that is?" "Well, there's a couple of tricky little... terms that might have to be... dealt with. But all in all..." Another scroll appeared in his hand "All magic comes with a price."  
There was a sly smile from him as he stood there, scroll in hand whilst Tabitha looked at both suspiciously. "A simple arrangement, but it will make things a little more difficult on your part."

"Tell me."  
"With those boots, you will be able to change yourself at will into either cat or human or cat or human or back again whenever you wish! So long as you keep the boots on of course... Otherwise, you'll be stuck in your 'Original' form. In this case... Human."  
There was a glimmer of disbelief on Tabitha's face as she heard this. And then she remembered the vital twist.

"What's the price?"  
"You can never see your master again. Otherwise, this new curse is permanently removed. And you'll be stuck a clumsy little human for the rest of your nine petty lives. Oh, wait... You aren't a cat anymore so that means you've got just the one life now! Hehe!"  
Tabitha smirked at the last part. If there is one thing everyone should know about felines in the Enchanted Forest, it's that they are most certainly not stupid.

"What's the smile for, dearie. Did I say something funny?"  
"You forgot about the first deal. I have to help him, don't I? How am I supposed to do that if he can't see me?"  
The Imp's sneer returned again. "Help him succeed, and the shape-shifting curse will remain permanent for eternity. Don't and the curse will be removed. You're just going to have to follow him from the shadows from now on."  
She glared at him. "So if he sees me or doesn't succeed... I can't become a cat again?"

He held the scroll and a newly produced quill out towards her and she took a breath. "Any chance... of a few pointers? I mean... as to how to... help him?"  
"Oh the opportunities will present themselves quite nicely, I'll ensure it. Now come on, come on! Sign it, I don't have all day, Kitty!"  
She sighed, took the quill and, after some deliberation she made a rather notable remark which the Imp seemed to have forgotten.

"Erm... I can't write."  
There was a sigh of exasperation at this revelation as the Imp knelt down and held out a hand. "Finger, if you please?"  
"Why?"  
"You may be illiterate but when it comes to magic, blood is often if bit of a more... Potent dealmaker. Now. Finger."  
There was another sigh as she gritted her teeth and cautiously moved her hand towards him. He took a surprisingly firm grip on her hand, extending her index finger whilst in the same motion, conjuring a needle to pierce her fingertip.

There was a brief prick of pain as the blood began to bead on her fingertip. "Aaaand now... press your finger... right... here." He indicated the dotted line and she followed the instruction, leaving a red, circular mark of a bloody fingerprint on the paper.  
"Good kitty..." There was an evil chuckle as he immediately stood up, taking the contract with him as Tabitha got to her feet behind him, still a little shaky on her human legs.

"What now?" "Now?" She could hear the audible sneer in his voice as he turned to her and pointed at the boots. A jet of sparks flew from his blackened fingertips and immediately a warm sensation around her feet became evident as the boots started to glow momentarily before returning to their regular leather brown hue.  
"Have fun, Dearie. It's time you started playing a little Cat and Mouse. Hehehehe!"  
The giggle continued and confused Tabitha as he turned away.

"Aaaand Remember!" He called back to her as he walked away and the purple mists surrounded him, leaving only his voice behind as Tabitha watched him disappear.

"Think Feline Thoughts."


	5. STORYBROOKE

There was a crack of a fist on a cheekbone and the smash of a skull on concrete. There was much shouting and bawling as the thief's vision faded and obscured her surroundings from the blow and into a state of brief unconsciousness in the parking lot of The Rabbit Hole in the dead of night.

This was not how this was supposed to happen.

**\---**

She woke up. Groggily and with a dull pain on the side of her face but certainly very much alive much to the relief of the woman sat beside her. "Urgh..."

"Oh my god... Emma?!" There were hurried footsteps as reality started to form around her once again. A female voice had called out to someone. It wasn't her name that had been called though.

"Kitty?"  
There it was.

"Urgh...?"  
Was the only feasible reply for her in this state of wakefulness.

"Kitty? Can you hear me?"  
There was another grunted response of a potential "Yep"

"Emma, is she gonna be okay?"  
"Yeah... Should be fine. The fall knocked her out more than the punch."  
"Huh...? What...?"  
"Kid, you got punched in the face by some drunk idiot in a parking lot. You hit your head. Do you remember anything?"  
"Where... Where am I?"

"You're at Mary Margaret's house. Y'know, the one next to the diner? White picket fence? Know it?"

"Why am I...?"  
"You got punched, not stabbed. You don't need to go to a hospital, you need a lie-down. Now... Do you remember anything?"  
Kitty's eyes were half open. The light was dim but she could make out two faces above her. One was Emma, and the other was a woman with short black hair, whom she assumed was Mary Margaret. What she was laying on she determined to quite possibly be a bed, not that she didn't have much experience with beds but more the fact that this one felt like it had about 1000 blankets, it was that soft.

"I... I remember the parking lot. And the idiot. I... Dammit!"  
She abruptly tried sitting up, only to feel Emma holding her by the shoulders.  
"Easy, Easy! What's wrong?"

"Gold..."  
"What?"  
"What?" Kitty looked at Emma blankly. She should not have said that.  
"You said Gold. What does that mean?"  
"What does what mean?"  
"Why did you say Gold?"

She should NOT have said that. "I... Didn't."  
"You did."  
"I didn't."  
"Yes, you did."  
"I Didn't!"  
"What does Gold have to do with this?"  
"What does Gold have to do with what!? I don't..."

Emma sighed in frustration.  
"Kid. I am calling your bluff here. You said Gold. Now either you were stealing something that was gold which, honestly, would not surprise me... Or Mr. Gold is involved in this somehow, which would also not surprise me... Or it might... Just. Tell me, what happened BEFORE you got knocked out in a parking lot?"

Kitty looked at her with a mix of surprise and awe, taking a second to look at Mary Margaret who, unsurprisingly, nodded towards Emma as a signal to answer the damn question. She exhaled and rubbed the back of her neck.  
"This afternoon... Gold... He found me and said he wanted something picked up..."  
"Go on..."

"He made me promise not to say anything"  
"Tell me."  
"He's paying me"  
"Tell. Me."

There was an awkward silence and another nod of encouragement from Mary Margaret.

"He... Wanted me to head to The Rabbit Hole. Pick something up for him."  
"What did he want?"  
"I don't know. A package. Probably something for his shop, who gives a damn? All I remember is he said it was somewhere down The Rabbit Hole, I was going to go in, drunk idiot met me first, tried dodging, didn't work, here I am. Happy?"

Emma got up immediately and headed towards the door, leaving Kitty to lie back on the bed, exasperated and exhausted with a mild headache. "Where are you going?" Was the immediate response from Mary Margaret.

"I need to speak to Gold, find out what he wanted..."There were footsteps, the sound of a door opening, a few more footsteps and then a slam. Then awkward silence.

"Want anything?"  
"Anything edible and my dignity back would be nice..."

**\---**

It was still dark when Emma approached Mr. Gold's shop. He was just about to lock the door and was, to say the least, surprised... Obviously expecting someone else. "Miss Swann. What a surprise. I'm afraid I'm just about to close up for the..."  
"Rucker."  
"Sorry?"

"Kitty Rucker."  
"Ah, the local delinquent... What about her?"

"She just got a face-full of concrete... Collecting something for you."  
"Oh. Did she fall?"

The concern was so obviously lacking, a cockroach would have been offended.  
"Punched. Knocked out in the parking lot of The Rabbit Hole. What was she supposed to collect, Gold? And how much were you paying her?"  
"I'm afraid to say I haven't the foggiest idea what you are insinuating."  
"You paid a homeless teenager to collect something for you. Why?"  
"If you must know, Kitty and I have an agreement. She does the odd job for me occasionally, I make sure she at least gets a regular meal a day and such. Obviously this time it didn't turn out as usual but accidents happen I suppose."

Emma looked at Gold suspiciously. She had reasons to be wary of him and she wasn't letting up now. "What was she meant to collect?" "And why would you want to know?" "Well, your delivery girl seems to be out of service for the minute and given circumstances I suppose I could get it for you instead."

The was an intrigued silence from Gold. "I still owe you that favor" Emma decided to add.

This triggered the silence to switch to a small laugh and a smile of amusement.  
"Interesting... Well given Miss. Rucker's circumstances and my short time I suppose the idea is simple enough, but no. You do still owe me a favor but I shall retrieve my goods myself. Thank you, though... for the offer."

And with that, he finished locking the shop door. "Goodnight, Miss Swan" "Night..."

And then he left. Emma eventually turned around to head back to the house, feeling like there was certainly more to this... agreement than it first seemed.


	6. THE ENCHANTED FOREST

Next morning, the brother had awoken in his chair to find that either everything had been a terrible dream, or Tabitha, now apparently a fully grown human, was not in the house.

Owing to experience, he chalked it up to it all being a dream. There was no magical imp, no enchanted contracts had been signed and Tabitha was still a cat and probably off catching some mice or in asleep in the barn. Perfectly logical explanation, he believed. His brothers were probably knocked out cold or at the least terribly hungover on the streets of town or in some tavern having spent all their remaining inheritance money on women and drink.

It's not easy being the youngest albeit more respectable brother of the family, or at least what was left of it.

He got up, still feeling a little off and decided his best option was to go to the river. He bathed frequently for a simple farmboy but since the farm was no longer his to assist with for now (His brother would probably still need help given his drunken nature) he decided a quick rinse was probably what he needed.

As he left the farmhouse for the local river in the shining morning sun, Tabitha watched apprehensively out of sight from the barn through a crack in the boards. She had barely had a wink of sleep all night owing to her attempting to activate this new... ability. She had not yet been able to return to her feline form which enraged her to no end, but if she had any chance of becoming a cat again, she had to help her master.

Without him seeing her.

How she was going to do it she had no idea but once he had gone down the crest of the hill, she quickly attempted to move towards the woods where he was going, still trying to accomplish the task of changing herself back.

"... think feline thoughts... think feline thoughts..." She repeated to herself quietly as she tried her best to not trip over her skirt.

"come on... feline thoughts... feline thoughts..."

She knew what cat's thought about. She was one. All fours, agile, quick-footed, stealthy...

That's it.

She made sure no one could see as she darted through the field, almost tripping several times as the hill went down.

This would work.

It had to work.

Promptly, she closed her eyes... lept up... and as she flew through the air, aiming to land on all fours...

There was a resounding crash as she ended up throwing herself at the ground with full force and determination. As she began rolling down the remainder of the steep hill, she realized that it had, apparently, not gone at all to plan.

There was another sound of crashing as she ploughed into a bush, not far from the path to the river. The brother, thankfully, was already submerged in the stream and far too occupied to hear the commotion as Tabitha dragged herself out of the bush, pulling twigs and leaves out of her hair and resisting the urge to violently scream as she kicked the bush she had just crawled out of with no effect other than ripping the hem of her skirt a little.

This would of unmistakably have made her furious until she the head of the brother bobbing out of the riverwater through the gap in the trees. Quickly all thoughts of failed transformations and twig-infested hair vanished in place of the priority to hide immediately. She sat, back upright against a tree stump and looked at her boots, praying he had not seen her.

"felinethoughtsfelinethoughtsfelinethoughts..." Still nothing.

She looked over to her side. Her master's clothing was strewn on a rock beside her and she could hear him in the river not far away. One look and she would blow it all.

She closed her eyes and cursed under her breath, "What in heck's name do I do now?"

Then there was a peculiar thought which occurred to her.

It's a commonly believed fact that cats are very well known for having prophetic tendencies, however it's a little more ill-explained than many would like to believe. The instincts of a cat often can overrule the common sense of a human, leading to seemingly supernatural coincidences, leading to this belief.

Tabitha's main experiences with such a skill were in the judgement of catching mice and a slight twitch of a knowing feeling not long before her master's father passed. This time, it was the feeling of an oncoming opportunity. She focused herself on this feeling as her ears began to tune into the sound of hooves, wheels on stones, the smell of rich fabric and fine wood mixed with horse's breath and the scent of salt.

A carriage. From the sea. From the town. An expensive carriage...

She opened her eyes again and looked down the route the carriage was coming from. In 5 minutes it would be in sight. Her master's clothes were still on the stone.

She knew what she had to do.

Immediately she peeped around the corner. His back was turned. Hurriedly yet quietly she stood up and grabbed what she could of his garments and ran to the bush she had so unceremoniously crawled out of previously. She soon had them buried under a pile of twigs in the underbrush. Looking up again, she breathed a sigh of relief that he was completely unaware of any of this.

"Now... the tricky bit."

Tabitha ran ahead down the carriage's supposed route. She focused hard on the feeling of running, the sound of the carriage.

Think. Feline. Thoughts.

Without thinking she jumped again, only this time to find herself still running... on all fours.

In a state of momentary insanity, she laughed a feline laugh (Which to all else would of simply been a rather jubilant screech-like meow) and kept running with glee at her return to her natural state.

And then there was a rather loud screaming sort of meow when two rather large horses appeared to rear on their hind legs at the sight of her.

"Oh yeah..." She thought, once she stood back a bit nearly tumbling over, still a cat, thank goodness. "Forgot about that bit."

The horses continued to rear up, causing much fuss from the driver.

"What's going on? Has something happened?!" A female voice exclaimed from inside the carriage as Tabitha edged her way back from the horses to avoid being trampled as the driver fought to control the horses.

She moved around to the side to see the carriage door opening, revealing a rather finely dressed young woman exiting the carriage. She looked at the horses in a state of bewilderment at their seemingly unprovoked behaviour. "Oh my..."

"Meow!" Tabitha felt this was the best time to call for someone's attention. The woman looked down at, what Tabitha had yet to realize, was seemingly the most bizarre sight in all the Enchanted Forest.

A cat wearing a pair of fine leather boots.

"Well then..." The woman stood, mouth agape in wonder at the sight. "Aren't you a funny creature?"

The driver was still wrestling with the horses and unaware of his passengers distraction. "Meow!" Tabitha called again, aiming to distract the woman away from the carriage.

Picking up her dress a little, she moved closer to the odd feline. "Hello there" She smiled with a childlike voice. Humans always seem to use that same tone when speaking to animals and children, it really is quite odd.

"Meow!" Was the logical answer from Tabitha. If she could just get her to follow her to the river...

The woman, unaware of the cat's hidden intentions continued to approach, kneeling down to pet them. Tabitha figured she may as well let her closer and obliged, letting her stroke a little beside her ear. It was a pleasant feeling but she tried to make sure she didn't let herself get distracted. "Aren't you an adorable little pussycat?" "Meow!" she responded. However, if you did speak cat, you would've realized that was an excessively sarcasm-laced request for her to hurry the hell up as there was a nude man about 20 metres downstream with his clothes missing and in need of assistance.

The horses were still in an argumentative state as the woman attempted pick Tabitha up. Instead of continuing to oblige to the woman's petting, she backed up, but in a playful manner in order to retain her interest. Cat's have a funny way of trying to communicate with humans thanks to the obvious language barrier.

She ran around the woman, brushing up by her skirt a little in an attempt to keep her attention focused on her. Eventually, she started moving a little further away. "Come on... take the bait."

The woman laughed at the sight of the stray cat in a pair of boots showing such affection to her. Then they decided to run off about a metre away and started meowing and drawing her attention.

"You want me to follow you, kitty?"

"Yes, I want you to follow me you silly woman now keep moving towards me or so help me I will claw you." These thoughts were expressed with another series of meows and other such positive sounding feline noises.

"Agatha?" The driver had finally taken notice despite the racket of whinnying and neighing "What are you doing?"

"Have you seen this cat, Hector?" "What cat?" "This one here! With the... the... Boots!"

In the moment she had turned her head to answer Hector, Agatha narrowly missed Tabitha, whom she had mistakenly named as Boots, darting away a little way ahead, still meowing to get her to follow already which, miraculously, she did in quite a hurry. "Boots! Come back here!"

"Just keep following woman..." Tabitha kept on at a steady pace until she reached the stream where a rather bewildered brother was currently trying to find his missing pants. Quickly she darted up a tree out of sight, close enough for Agatha to be near the brother and far enough away for the brother to not see her.

"Boots?! Where are you... OH MY!" Immediately, Agatha shielded her eyes as the brother ducked behind a tree, allowing for Tabitha to change her position to avoid being spotted again.

"Ah! I'm.. Oh dear!" the brother attempted to retain his dignity from his hiding spot. "I'm... I'm so sorry! I..."

"Are you alright?" She responded, concerned and attempting to avoid any childish laughter at the young man's predicament. "I'm... erm... No... Not really... erm..."

Tabitha watched the embarrassment unfold as the young lady attempted to assist without giggling too much. "What happened? Were you robbed?" "Erm... Yes, in fact... Mi'lady, I was just bathing in the stream a moment ago and I came back to find my clothes had been stolen! I'm sorry you had to see me in such a state, I didn't know anyone was nearby..."

Tabitha had no experience with the human emotion of bashfulness, but by the looks of it it was quite an uncomfortable sight. The sound of carriage wheels had returned as Hector, along with two somewhat tamed horses had returned. "Agatha?"

"Hector! Do you have any spare clothes in the trunk?" "Why would...? Oh... Are you alright sir?" "Yes! erm... No... I..." "This poor man's clothes were stolen whilst he was bathing! Surely we have something for him?"

There was much discussion and commotion as Tabitha observed the exchanging of some new clothes for her master to wear, also being allowed to change discreetly within the carriage.

When he exited, he looked like a nobleman with a rather fetching doublet and fine cotton blouse. His trousers and boots also seemed a perfect fit. For a simple farmboy, he looked quite the gentleman.

"That's more like it, m'boy..." Hector beamed at the young man, Agatha looking positively lovestruck, the brother seeming to be a little more dumbfounded at his own apparent luck.

"Now... I didn't quite catch your name before, boy?" "Oh, Ridley, sir... Ridley Souris." "Souris, eh? Well, boy. We were just on our way to the town of Carabas for a dinner at the house of the Marquis."

"That sounds... wonderful." "This young lady here is Agatha, daughter of the Duke of Carabas." "Oh!" There was a stunned expression on Ridley's face as he turned to the girl, whom was still gazing like a dazed pigeon at him. His looking back at her made her suddenly remember reality and she smiled a little more lucidly before doing a little courtesy.

Such things seemed unnecessary to Tabitha, whom had found a comfortable branch to perch out of sight of the gathering.

"Do you think Father would mind if I brought a guest Hector?" "What?" Again, Ridley was shocked. "I don't see why not. You seem to like the boy, hehe." Hector gave him a small slap on the arm. "Come on, M'boy... The Duke is quite fond of meeting potential suitors for Agatha and a handsome young fellow such as yourself should get on just fine at the feast."

Too stunned to respond, he was quickly ushered by the arm by the young woman as Hector got back to the reins. Figured that such luck must be her Master's success which the Imp spoke of, she climbed down silently and hopped on the back platform of the carriage as they began to drive away.

She was most certainly not going to miss this.


	7. STORYBROOKE

"EMMA!"

She'd only been gone barely ten minutes. Mary Margaret ran up to her in the street, clearly distressed about something. "What happened?" "It's Kitty! I was making her a sandwich and when I looked back the window was open and she was gone!"  
"Oh my god..."

Emma rolled her eyes and went into the house, Mary Margaret in tow. She was right. A tuna sandwich was on the table, still freshly made and the window was wide open, letting in the late night chill. "She can't of gone far..."

**\---**

Granny's Diner was still open with the usual late night crowd. " "Evening, ladies." Granny smiled from behind the counter, looking relatively calm as the two ladies approached despite the small buzz of late night drinkers and the passing guest after a meal or two. "Have you seen Kitty Rucker by any chance?"

There was a scoff from behind them as Ruby came past with an empty tray in hand. "The stray cat doesn't come round here anymore."  
"Quiet, Ruby."  
Granny admonished before turning back to Emma and Mary Margaret. "Had a scrap with her a while back. Ruby still holds a grudge so she hasn't come in since."  
"Little Scamp Deserved It!" was the response from the back of the diner. Granny rolled her eyes and shouted over her shoulder.  
"Aren't You Supposed To Be Checking The Deliveries?" There was an audible groan of annoyance from the back.

"Sorry about that... Anyways. What's happened?"  
"She got hit in the Rabbit Hole parking lot... Got her to Mary Margaret's, she woke up, I went out and Mary Margaret turned her back on her for one second..."  
"I was making her a sandwich!"  
"... And next thing we know is that the window's open and she gone. Any ideas where she might be?"

Granny smirked then sighed. "Well... A girl like Kitty tends to not stick around in one place for long but I know she has a... a "home-base", so to speak..."  
"She has a home?"  
Granny shook her head "No no... more just somewhere she's found to hold up. I tend to leave some food out for her after hours since I haven't a clue where she stays but knowing her she won't come back out now for a bit, poor girl."

"Know anyone who might know where she stays, then?"  
"If there was, they aren't here. Kitty has... trust issues."  
"Figured..." Emma replied, remembering Kitty's frequent early morning stays in a cell at the police station.  
Granny continued, "She's got no living family relations I'm aware of... No friends... Real ones, anyway..."  
"Well... Thanks, Granny... We'll let you know if we find anything."  
"Please do. Ruby might not like her much but the way she is, it's a damn miracle she hasn't come to any serious harm yet."  
"I know... Goodnight, Granny."  
Emma turned to leave as Mary Margaret said her goodbyes as well.

"So... If you were a teenager, homeless, no family, no friends... Where would you go?" Emma spoke into thin air but the remark was somewhat directed at Mary Margaret.  
"Erm... I don't know... Somewhere... Warm, Somewhere I knew... Listen, maybe I should call someone to help find..."  
"No. She ran off to escape. She probably isn't going to want a search party after her... now where..."  
Suddenly the thought hit her. She remembered Graham talking about Kitty and their morning chases. How they'd always end not far from the docks.

"Right... Mary Margaret, you go home, I've got this from here."  
"But..."  
"No buts, I think I know where to start looking..."

**\---**

It was late. It was dark. It was cold. And yet a bright glow from a large, messily cut metal dish offered a warm respite from such inconveniences. Kitty shivered regardless as she huddled close to the flames. The headache was still present but it was bearable. She rubbed her cheek. There was definitely going to be a bruise tomorrow morning.

She watched the flames dance as she sat on her sleeping bag. She was tired and this was her safe haven; A small corner of the docks, shielded from the view of the regular folk but close enough for her alone to reach. The view of the water wasn't much, but it was nice to wake up to... Hell in winter, but she'd gotten used to it.

She lay back on the sleeping bag and small mass of stolen clothes and little knick-knacks and trinkets she'd picked up on her way. A few old wallets were somewhere in the pile. A few dollars a piece, a couple of coins and at least one credit card. She couldn't do much with the card but kept it anyways.

It's the little things.

Looking off into the fire pit beside her, she noticed the rumbling in her stomach. Sure she could've at least stayed a little longer, but she couldn't stay. Being in a house was... Weird. Unnatural. She didn't deserve that sort of thing. Especially not from someone who'd only really met her from the other side of a set of iron bars.

She was an outcast in this town... and she could live with that.

A creaking of floorboards broke her thoughts. Kitty sat up, grabbing the steel pipe she'd salvaged a while back for protection. It felt cold in her fire-warmed fingers as she edged around to the old door that cut off this small haven from the rest of the world. No one knew where she hid out during the night, not even Gold.

Not even... "Kitty? You in here?"

How in the hell did SHE find out she stayed HERE? Kitty sighed and smiled to herself before lowering the pipe and opening the door to see a surprised Emma Swan on the other side.

"Hey."

**\---**

"So... You sleep here?" "Yup."

Kitty spoke with a mouth full of tuna sandwich. Emma had gone back the house and picked the one that had been made for her before driving up to the docks to search for the hideout. They were now sat together next to the open flames, Kitty's stomach speaking louder than her mind as Emma scanning the... humble abode.

"Anybody know you're down here?" "Nope... You're th' firsht" Kitty spoke with a mouth full of crumbs and pulverized fish. God, she needed that sandwich. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve and swallowed. "How'd you find me?" "Graham told me your usual escape route a while back. You always got caught headed towards the docks. Figured your "home-base" must've been close by."

There was a look of awe and respect on Kitty's face as she looked at Emma and took another bite out of her sandwich. Emma continued her line of questioning. "How'd you end up here?"

"Lonk schtory short..." She swallowed, "I'm not exactly a perfect kid." "Who isn't?" Kitty chuckled and looked into the flames.  
"Did your family kick you out?"  
"Sorta. I was the odd one out..." Emma looked at her encouragingly as Kitty took another bite of the sandwich, swallowing again and the beginning her story.

"I was adopted. Okay family. Straight couple, three boys, very story-like. It was okay... then the wife left, the dad passed away from a terminal illness, the two eldest kicked me and the youngest out after they got the inheritance and we both lived it out here till he upped and left. He got married... Then turned out dear old Dad had some... Bad dealings. Men came looking for money... Two eldest were killed in the old house in cold blood. My brother... the one who left... They found him too... And his family."  
"Oh my god..."  
"Yeah. Worst multiple homicide in Storybrooke for years... They left me be since I wasn't blood or they just couldn't find me anyways. So I just... disappeared." She bit the sandwich again, this time a little more aggressively.

"Does... Anyone know?"  
"Ha. Course they know. They just never knew about me. The paper only mentioned "The Three Murdered Brothers: Killed By The Sins Of The Father!"... Y'know all that kinda stuff?"  
She added some dramatization to the title before looking into the flames again.  
"Who'd give a damn about the adopted class skiver with a criminal record?"

"Ever told anyone else? About... This?" Emma frowned, looking at Kitty with an element of uncertainty. She knew when people were lying... Kitty wasn't.  
"Once again... You are the first."  
"Why tell me?"  
"You asked."

Emma breathed in and looked into the flames with Kitty. The kid had been through hell, she knew that. But how had Storybrooke managed to forget her like this? How had this been allowed to happen...?

She was just a kid...


	8. THE ENCHANTED FOREST

Carabas. A hidden gem among the maritime kingdoms.

Cut off by steep mountain ranges and surrounded by the most bountiful sea in all the Enchanted Forest, it was regarded as the best seaport in the land. The Souris' Farm was situated just outside the lowest mountains of the region's land and the river led to a stunning waterfall which added to the marvelous image of the bustling city with the dramatic Citadel of the Duke looming above the smaller buildings in the valley.

Trade from neighboring landlocked regions outside the city was uncommon in Carabas so the townsfolk were largely reliant on themselves and the bountiful oceans as well as the local mountain farmers. Stray sailors from far away often came into port here to sell and make merry in the many vibrant taverns by the docks. Ridley Souris had only been here a few times to the Markets with his father to sell produce and it had also been where they bought Tabitha a few years ago. She was only a kitten then and had never been this far away from the farm since...

Life for a Cabarisian was a life of simple comforts for many and a life of pure luxury for the few.

Tabitha hung onto the back of the carriage, not exactly caring if her claws scratched the wood as they descended the winding cliffside passage towards the Citadel. For a mainly stone structure, the glass windows along the upper towers caught the sunlight like nothing she had ever seen before. Perhaps a fire in the sky since that was the closest comparison she could think of before there was a small jolt as the carriage ran over a small bump.

Ridley, however, was sat inside the carriage and gazing at the beautiful landscape, Agatha currently smiling and chatting with him like a lovesick puppy. Ridley was, thankfully, more interested in the view. As a native Cabarisian he'd seen it a fair few times, but never from such a regal standing as the carriage of the Duke's Daughter.

How this had all come about he had no idea. The dream of the Imp and Tabitha certainly felt a little more real now, but regardless it was far-fetched. Even if Tabitha was human now, how would she cause all this to come about? That brought another thought to mind. His brothers would probably be home soon from their hungover states. Thankfully, if still feline, Tabitha could sustain herself when it came to food as there was certainly no shortage of mice in these parts, but he was the only one in the family who really looked after her.

If the restriction of blood in his arm courtesy of Agatha was any indication, he certainly was not going to be home for a while.

As the road winded down and onto the great bridge towards the gates, Tabitha held on, narrowly avoiding the view of the guards which all stood to one side as the carriage rolled past. Being as she had no idea of the complexities of the social hierarchy, she simply stepped off the carriage and ran into the crowd out of sight as the carriage doors opened.

A rather large, jolly-looking man in extremely rich attire stood at the steps of the main castle of the Citadel. One particularly young guard looked apprehensive when he spotted the feline jumping off the back of the carriage and alerted his superior, only to be met with a rather sarcastic laugh.  
"Boy, even if a stray cat did come into the Castle, the worst it could do is eat a few mice."

The younger guard was given a hearty slap on the back as they all bowed, Agatha exiting with her new "friend" in tow by the arm, Hector preparing himself for the explanations.

"Agatha! My girl, how have you been? And who is this fine young man?" The man on the steps walked forward with arms outstretched, welcoming the young couple. Agatha, positively beaming, spoke for both Ridley and Hector. "Father! This is Ridley, I met him on the way here!"

There was an exchanging of glances and an awkward silence between the man, who was clearly The Duke Of Carabas, and Ridley before the latter had summoned the courage to speak up.

"Your grace, it is an honor to meet you" He spoke with in the most refined way he could muster, bowing a little to add to the air of regality that Agatha and the new clothing had seemed to give him. Not one man or woman could have guessed he was the son of a farmer. Not one... save for the cat in leather boots and an orange handkerchief wrapped around her neck hiding in the crowd.

"I must add that I owe my many thanks and my gratitude to your daughter. She saved me from a rather... embarrassing situation not long ago and I am lucky to have met her." He smiled at Agatha who may as well of been hanging off his arm at this point. His comment also greatly amused the Duke, whom also smiled and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Anyone that my dear daughter considers a friend is welcome here. I must ask you to feast with us tonight, good sir."

"I... erm... Of course! I'd love to... Your grace." The Duke laughed again. "No need for all that, call me Harold. Come along!"  
He promptly gave him a hearty shove up the stairs along with Agatha through the grand castle doors before turning to the onlookers within the Citadel.

"My Gentlemen And Ladies Of Carabas! Tonight we celebrate the anniversary of The Duchess' Passing. 'Tis a sad time but we remember her with joy in our hearts! And so tonight... ALL ARE INVITED TO THE FEAST!"

There was a resounding cheer of approval from the men and women of the Citadel as Tabitha quickly escaped the feet of the crowds and proceeded to find a way into the castle. Hector, meanwhile, approached The Duke.  
"Sir..."  
"Have all the invitations been accepted from those outside the city?" "Y... yes. Sir... The Queen... Her Majesty accepted."  
There was a slightly grave look on the Duke's face.   
"Proceed as normal. She has no quarrel with us here hence we needn't give them any reason to. We are peaceful folk."   
"Pardon my mentioning but... From what I gather her methods are far from... Peaceful... So to speak."   
The Duke sighed and turned to the castle doors.   
"Do not let her have any reason to seek any quarrel. I may not agree with her methods but she is more powerful than any of us. We don't want a fight." 

"Yes, sir. And the Outlaw?"  
"Double the guards around the gates and perimeters. That ought to do it..."  
"Very good, sir..."

\---

Scaling the wall and getting into the castle was simple enough. The number of open windows were particularly convenient. Sneaking about was the difficult part, however... even as a cat.

Night had already fallen and from a high balcony, Tabitha lounged and watched the party. The feast was tremendous. Whole Cabarisian Lobster was the centerpiece of every table and the best seafood and organic produce the land had to offer was available to all the guests. The call to feast had not been given yet but the great hall was alive with laughter and chatter.

On the High Table, the Duke sat with Ridley and Agatha beside him on one side and an empty chair on the other. Despite his jolly demeanor, Tabitha could tell he was worried about something, even from this height. She could hear the sound of his heartbeat rushing ever so slightly more than it needed to whenever he looked at the empty chair or the large door facing him.

Despite the sweet, sweet temptation of the scent of fish which met her in her hiding place, her senses managed to tune into the sound of hooves. Viciously turning wheels against the cobbles and the neighing of horses. Hector, in a hurry, discreetly managed to whisper something which Tabitha was unable to catch moments before the doors opened with a dramatic gust of wind, seemingly snuffing every candle and canceling the gossip as the late guest arrived.

The Evil Queen.

"Sorry, I'm late." The Duke rose and descended towards the Queen before bowing before her and kissing her hand.  
"I see you waited"  
"As I ought to, your Majesty."

"Good. Now before we do begin I believe we do have some business to take care of."  
"Your Majesty, the feast..."  
"Food can wait."  
Tabitha edged back into the corner of her hiding spot to ensure she was not seen. She could smell the evil coming from this woman and she didn't like it one bit.

"Agatha, dear. How have you been, child?"  
She walked up to the high table where Agatha had stood up along with Ridley.  
"I am... Well, your Majesty."  
"And who is your new friend?"  
"Ridley. Your Majesty."  
Both looked nervous at the woman's dark presence.  
"Well, Ridley... I'm afraid you're going to have to move aside for a moment."  
She flicked her wrist and in an instant, he flew into a nearby wall, falling in a heap before being picked up by the arms by two black-clad guards who had entered with the Queen's Brigade.

"Now. To business." The Queen turned away from the fear-stricken Agatha as she turned to The Duke.  
"Thank you for the invitation, Harold... I've been meaning to come here for a while."

The man remained on one knee, looking calm but Tabitha could sense his fear.

Being a Cat, the matters of Politics and Royalty meant nothing to her. The only laws she followed were those of Nature, but she could tell that everything about this scenario was very VERY wrong.

"The Great City Of Carabas! You and your wife did a good job with the place... Except for the fact that you still don't allow trade from here to the rest of the kingdom."  
The Duke simply bowed his head as he remained where he was.  
"We... We simply wish to be left to ourselves. We are peaceful people and we..."

"Yadda yadda yah!!!" The Queen snapped mockingly.  
"Peaceful doesn't cut it in my book, Harold. This land is mine now and I'm determined to make my mark. Now either you allow trade through and put in the correct measures to do so or I'm going to have to take control and put someone else in charge who can." 

All the guests had arisen, edging away from the Queen as another figure entered behind her, marching very proudly in, smiling smugly with the face of a drowned toad... At least that was Tabitha's opinion. He stood next to the queen with a rather over-dramatic flourish of a bow before the Queen and the Duke.

"My Queen?"  
By the gods, the man was the vocal equivalent of a man with a nail in his foot. Tabitha had personal experience knowing this tone after one of the brother's drunken capers.  
"This, Harold, is Cyril. The New Marquis of Carabas."  
Responding to this, he did the fancy-pants flourish with the bowing thing again before turning to the Queen.  
"Your wishes, Majesty?"  
"Just do whatever it is you do, Cyril."  
There was a sinister giggle before the man's form twisted itself into that of something... not human.

Tabitha had never seen this creature before, slithering in a much similar embellished motion as he did previously as a man towards the Duke who was promptly backing away in fear. Agatha screamed as the Queen laughed.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of Carabas! Your Duke has denied Your Queen of allowing free trade to allow your realm to prosper in these dark days. Now that, boys and girls, is classed as Treason against your Majesty and we can't have that... And so. We all know what the punishment for treason is..."

The Marquis hissed and reared up at the Duke, Agatha screamed and covered her eyes, Ridley screamed for help and Tabitha watched in horror.  
The Marquis quickly struck him on the throat with a venomous bite and there was a deathly cry before the Duke fell to the floor with no heartbeat.

The Duke... Was Dead.

The Queen And The Marquis ruled Carabas now.


	9. STORYBROOKE

Emma sat in the Police Department Office flicking through a pile of paperwork. It had been at least a day since she'd found Kitty's hideout. She made a note to keep tabs on her but really needed something more long-term to help her. Tuna Sandwiches would only get her so far.

"Whatcha lookin' for?"

Henry had shown up about an inch from her desk without her realizing. "Jesus! Henry... What the... Aren't you supposed to be at school?"  
"It's 4 o' clock."  
"Is it?"  
She checked the clock to find that she had literally been going through paperwork for 3 hours straight. She sighed as Henry repeated his question.

"There's a kid in town. Homeless girl..."  
"Kitty Rucker?"  
Emma sat up a little looking at Henry with a confused expression.  
"You know her?"  
"Yeah, she's Puss In Boots!"  
There was another sigh as the topic of everyone in town being fairytale characters was brought up.  
"Alright... well... Puss In Boots is currently homeless and I need to find a long-term solution to help her out."  
"Need any help?"   
"No, I need coffee and a kid who's Mom isn't going to murder me if I am within 10 ft of them"  
She groaned as she got up and ushered him out of the door.

\---

Kitty lounged on the roof of the old library. It was a rather sunny afternoon and hence she'd manage to perch quite comfortably on a ledge overlooking the town. She quite liked this view admittedly despite the contempt she had for the place. Here, no one could bother-

"Miss Rucker?" ... dammit

She looked down from her perch to see... Hopper. And he was smiling. Oh, joy.

"May I ask why you are on the Library Roof?"  
"I like the view."  
"I see... Wanna come down and talk about it?"  
"No thank you."  
"Alright..."  
He had a perfectly annoying way of ticking her off at times like this.

"Say... er... It's a little breezy up there... Don't you want to come down?"  
"I'll come down when I want to, Hopper."  
"Just saying... Kinda don't want you to fall..."  
"Haven't you got something else to do than bother me?"  
"C'mon, there's no reason to be grumpy. "

She sighed and then came up with the most cliche way of getting him to go away.

"Hey what's that?"  
She pointed, he turned and she quickly ducked and ran across the roof to the opposite side to climb down. All she could hear was the confused tone of "Miss Rucker?" as she put up her hood and jogged away.

Honestly, couldn't he just mind his own business for once?

\---

It was about 9 pm when Granny usually left out a Tuna sandwich for her. She hated this feeling of being some kind of charity case but she had to admit... Granny's tuna sandwiches were damn good.

She waited in the shadows across the street until the lights were switched off and Granny locked the door, bringing a paper plate out with her. As she left the diner, she left the plate on the on one of the outdoor tables and promptly walked away, leaving the street dark and barren.

Once all was quiet, the silent figure slipped away from the shadows, over the road and was just as quickly back in the shadows, leaving nothing but an empty plate and a few crumbs.

\---

As Emma arrived at the docks, she spotted a familiar figure sat down at the bottom of the pier. She got out of her car to see the figure looking up at something in the sky, then realized just how clear a night it was out here

"Hey..."

The figure's head snapped around towards her, only to exhale when they realized who she was.

"Hey." Kitty replied and then returned to looking up at the stars.

"Looking for something?" Emma sat beside her on the edge of the pier, looking up at the same light-speckled sky.

"Meh..."  
"That it?" Kitty laughed to herself a little at Emma's response. "Nah...Just bored. Like I said last night, not many people come down here. Not much light too so..."  
She gestured to the sky and the millions of pinpricks in the blackness arranged like a murmuration of light, as well as the shining crescent that sat among them.

"Nice view..."  
"Yeah... Y'know... I hate being sentimental but... I know people say that when you pass away, you become a star. If that was true... I'd know at least 7 of them..."

Remembering the story she'd heard from her the previous night, Emma pulled a scrap of newspaper out of her pocket.  
"Found this in the Office... "  
Kitty looked at it questioningly, then took it, reading it and then inhaling at the memory.

"I know what happened, Kitty... And I wanna help you out."

Kitty exhaled, unable to show the same contempt for Emma that she would to someone like Hopper.  
"For once... you're not the first to trying helping me."  
"Who beat me to the punch then?"  
"Hopper. Several times."  
"Have you accepted?"  
"Nope."  
"Why not?"  
"I'm not some charity case. If people want to know why I'm here, they just need to quit bothering me, remember what happened and just leave me be."

Emma took a moment.  
"If that's so... Why'd you let me talk to you about that kinda stuff?"  
"I... I don't know..."  
Kitty looked up at the sky again, as if searching for some kind of answer.  
"I guess... You're less of a jerk than everybody else."

"Not everyone in this town is a jerk. Granny leaves sandwiches out for you every night."  
"How'd you...?"  
"She told me... Plus you've still got some tuna on your face."  
Kitty immediately wiped her face to check and sure enough...  
"Okay... yeah... Maybe not Granny... But after Ruby kinda kicked my ass, I can't really go back there like a regular person."  
"Heard about that... What happened there?"

"I tried eating a tuna sandwich... and I had no money... and then I tried running."

"Did it work?" "Well, I'd already eaten the sandwich."  
She laughed at the small triumph of her past and Emma had to hold back the choked giggle in her throat.

"Y'know..." She spoke once her urge to burst out laughing had subsided, "I know what it's like."  
"Tch... cliche, much?"  
"I'm serious! Listen..."  
She smiled and glanced at the girl beside her. "I was just a year and a bit older than you when I stole my first car."  
"Wait... what?"  
"I shoplifted, stole food, was in and out of the foster system... It's not quite the same as what you've been through but it's enough to know what it's like."  
Kitty looked at her again with the same awed look she could only make in Emma's presence. 

"I know you don't want to be a charity case. But I'm willing to help you out. But you have to make a promise..."  
"Okay...?"  
"No more stealing. If I have to put behind those bars again even once, the deal's off. Got it?"  
"Got it."  
"Shake on it?"

She extended a hand to her, watching her eyes look to her, the hand and then back at her before cautiously extended her own to accept, marking the turning of a new page in her own story.

"No more stealing."


	10. THE ENCHANTED FOREST

It had mere hours since the brutal takeover of Carabas. Royal Guards were already roaming the streets of the lower ports, the dinner guests had all been sent away either to private quarters and kept guarded at all times or locked in the dungeons and also guarded.  
The City was completely locked down by the Royal forces, causing one trickster by the name of Cyril Mulgarath, now the Marquis Of Carabas, to have a rather joyful bout of dancing and prancing jumping about the Great Hall to a glorious orchestral piece within his own mind, kicking over tables, smashing chairs and quite frankly looking like he was having the time of his life destroying the delicately prepared dishes which had not been eaten due to the Queen's less than... subtle entrance.

His current actions, however, thriced her's in the lack of subtlety. Thankfully he was the only one present and all guards had exited to avoid any injury from the Mad Marquis.

Why had the Queen chosen him to rule this kingdom?

Simple. He couldn't. He was reckless, prideful and overall intended to do nothing more than make life misery for everyone else. The Queen had... coerced him into doing her bidding which he had amazingly accepted.

She just needed someone to stand in her name that people would be too scared to go near let alone oppose so as she could maintain power in that area. As far as she was concerned, he could do what he liked so long as it didn't involve killing the late Duke's daughter, Agatha (Whom Cyril had deluded himself into believing he could instead woo her and make his bride... Despite the obvious fact that he had killed her father in front of her.) or generally just burning the entire city to the ground and dancing in the flames... which he could quite possibly do if left unattended.

Cyril was utterly, completely, well and truly MAD. And not in a good way.

Agatha, meanwhile, had been locked in her quarters. Ridley and Hector had been carted down to the dungeons, her father had been murdered by a monster by order of the Queen and now that same monster had been named the Marquis.

It is perfectly understandable that a young girl of her position and innocence of mind would be crying into her pillows at that point. But instead, the maiden had taken to brutally attacking her locked door with a floor candelabra in a fury, firing a multitude of colorful and impressively unladylike insults at the guards outside.

It is also perfectly understandable that these guards had hence checked several times that the door was definitely locked.

Amidst the insults, there was a noise from behind her of something tapping on the window, causing her to pause and then promptly throw the candelabra at the door with a crack before quickly running to the window to open it and peer out.

"... hello?" She whispered, currently beginning the process of calming down from the outburst.

"Hey! Mind giving us a hand...?!"

Agatha clasped a hand over her mouth when she saw a young girl with wild brown hair wearing a simple dress and boots currently clinging to the ledge of her window. Instinct took hold as she reached out pulling the girl up and into the window.

"Thanks... Thought I was gonna-" Agatha cut her off by hurriedly raising a finger to her lips and pointing to the doors. The girl stopped her line of appreciation and then glanced at the door before whispering "Guards?" to her, to which the reply was a short nod.

"Right... One minute..." Just as soon as she had appeared the girl disappeared out of the window again. Agatha looked out of the window in a panic before hearing a clatter of heads, armor and fists on faces until there was a click of the door opening and the same young girl coming through dragging an unconscious guard with her into the room. "Probably would've been quicker for me to come in this way round. Have you got a rope or something?"

Within a few minutes, both guards had been tied together in the corner with bedsheets and pillowcases over their heads.  
"W...who are you?" was the simple and only question Agatha had for the mysterious girl.  
"You can call me Tabitha... Now. I need your help."  
"Help?"  
"Yes. There is a man in the dungeons that I know very well you will want to help and I need to help him too."  
"Who...?"  
"Oh, come on you only just met him today!"  
"Wait, Ridley? How do you...?"  
"No time to explain. I have no idea what is going on myself and quite frankly this has been the worst day of my life but right now we are going to save him, save Carabas and do something I never thought I'd do today."  
"And that is?"  
"I have no idea yet."

Agatha stared at Tabitha is honest confusion as if she'd hit herself with a brick for no reason.

"What are you looking at me like that for?"  
"It's just... Whatever, I don't understand anything today either. What do you propose we do?"  
"First off, probably deal with the... Mark-person, whatshisname?"  
"The Marquis?!"  
"Yeah, that... thing."

There was a suspended pause of disbelief before Agatha answered. "How... are we going to do that?!"  
"Don't know yet, sort of improvising." She sighed into her palm as Tabitha checked the door again.

Once again, for a lady of her caliber, most deemed her weak and childish. A typical princess-to-be. However, locked away behind the face of an angel was the mind of a strategist. A woman trained and born to rule.

"The Marquis. I can distract him."  
"You sure about that?"  
"Positive."

"Alright well... I must warn you of something then..."  
"What would that be?"  
"Well if you distract, I can attack."  
"Yes?"  
"Just... Look if you see a magic cat in boots scratching his eyes out, don't be alarmed."

There was another long pause from Agatha before realization snapped.  
"You're Boots?"  
"Huh?"

"The cat! The cat I saw before I met... Ridley..."  
Before drifting into a deeper state of revelation, Tabitha grabbed her wrist and pulled her quite roughly out of the door.  
"We can discuss that matter later. For now, lets go and find this Markish or whatever his bloody name is!"

\---

The traversal from Agatha's quarters to the Main Hall was surprisingly simple. Agatha knew her way around quite easily and how to enter the hall from the back entrances and Tabitha made quick work of reaching the hiding spot of the highest balcony.

The sight was certainly something to behold.

Chairs, tables, and food were strewn across the floor, untidily brushed aside by the mad prancing of the Marquis, who was currently in the process of performing for the audience of his mind's eye an extract from some old play that no one cared to remember the name of. Some romantic nonsense about forbidden love that had the happy ending turned on it's head with a rather violent sword attack on the coat rack on the "main stage" (He was currently stood upon the only non-overturned table at the head of the room) which incidentally wore a cloak made of a torn Cabarisian flag and a watermelon for a head... which was promptly skewered after receiving many wild gashes to the cloak and abdomen.

As the "prince" fell to the floor in a rather disjointed and disassembled fashion, the victorious Marquis turned to the invisible audience to announce his triumph before realizing the uninvited, yet not unwelcome, guest whom was currently in much a disturbed state at his insane and insensible display.

"A-HA! The Princess Arrives!" He pointed his sword at her and then rushed over, holding her disturbingly close before practically dragging her so quickly it was more of a pulling action than a drag as Agatha had not a moment to resist the motion of being inducted into the impromptu performance.

"And so in this dramatic turn of events..." He continued his monologue regardless of the woman whom could do nothing but follow his arms movements as she was too dizzy and confused to understand left foot from right to begin a safe and coherent walking motion away from the madman, "... The Princess fair, she comes to me once the prince is slain as no woman can resist the villain who knows control, for 'tis what villains know best!"

Agatha then felt herself falling over slightly as the Marquis let go of her hand only to swiftly catch her from behind the waist in a dramatic motion which quite frankly knocked the wind out of her.

"Isn't that so, milady?"

"I... um..."  
"Hushhushhush... No words. For I already know the answer."

Agatha immediately recognized the visage of a man swallowed by pride and honestly wished she hadn't volunteered to distract him. He soon pulled her waist forward and returned her to an, albeit wobbly, standing position and, with a similar flourish that he gave the Queen, pulled her hand towards his mouth and kissed it, as is supposed to be the gentlemanly fashion.

And it would be if it wasn't for his mild insanity and murderous tendencies.

"Wine?" He spoke his his most gentlemanly fashion, as if the surrounding carnage did not exist. "Um... Yes. Please." Agatha, remembering her manners and her duty decided to take the smart route of playing along. Hopefully Tabitha's attack would come soon... Whatever it was supposed to be.

The Mad Marquis relinquished his sword and turned to a decanter and two goblets which had miraculously been untouched in the chaos. He delicately poured both out generously, giving Agatha the occasional glance as he did before handing her her goblet as he raised his own.

"To those past whom may never return!" He cheered as he brought he goblet to his lips, promptly throwing his head back and practically swallowed half the goblet. Agatha took her chance.  
"Speaking of which..."  
The Marquis turned with a surprised expression and a mouthful of wine.  
"When you... Killed my father..."  
"AH yes... Most tragic, but tragedy is as tragedy does and hence tragedy must be invited on the great stage of life!"  
He spoke almost poetically, before inebriating himself once more.

Agatha swallowed at his statement, still having not drunk a drop and simply agreeing with his nonsense to keep him moderately mild-mannered... If that was at all possible.  
"Yes well... I want to know how you... did... what you did."  
"Come again?"  
"The Viper. How did you...?"  
"HAHAHA! YES! MY MOST WONDROUS TRICK! MY MOST MARVELOUS ACT!"

He immediately stopped drinking, threw his just-filled goblet against the wall, causing a great red stain on the stonework and jumped onto the table with an incredible leap.

"I can become WHATEVER I wish!"  
Agatha stared but somehow managed to keep her cool as he began his... performance.  
"A bird in the sky! A fish in the river! A great predator prowling the land! I can become ANYTHING!"  
"Oh... well... Marvelous." She stammered, a multitude of ideas crossing her mind.  
"Care to... present an example?"

There was a malicious giggle as he grew and changed his form with ease in a thunderous lion, roaring atop the table at the astonished maiden before him. The lion leaped past her, causing her to almost spill her wine across herself in fright before it began to circle her. She tried her best to remain resolute as the beast lunged at her, only to become human again, the evil grin of a mad man laughing down at her with glee. She laughed nervously as he reveled in his performance.  
"That was... Impressive."  
"Indeed!"  
"But... I must give you a challenge."

Her forced-stern tone surprised him and hooked his pride-fueled curiosity.  
"Ooooh? Name your Challenge."  
The grin returned as she breathed in, wishing she could avoid the scent of wine on his breath.  
"How about you try something else... For contrast? Something... Smaller? Quieter? Like a... a..." Then the thought struck her.

"A mouse!"

There was another giggle as he stepped back a few paces, not noticing the silent footsteps of another predator behind him.

"Your challenge... Is accepted."  
He bowed before shrinking to the floor, a tail formed in seconds and just as soon as his clothing turned to a coat of brown fur, the predator pounced with unrivaled speed and elegance, quickly biting down hard on the mouse, killing it instantly before munching on it quite happily.

Agatha, despite her steel resolve, could not hold back a shriek of surprise and shock.

Once the Marquis had been devoured, Tabitha grew back to her regular size, licking her lips of the slight remnants of blood and wiping her mouth.  
"Damn... That man was... hurgh... Damned worst meal I've ever had in WEEKS! Eurgh... Gross..."

"Did you... Just... Eat The Marquis?"  
"Huh?"  
Tabitha looked up at Agatha and then remembered what she was complaining about.  
"Well... Yeah."

Agatha could not help but be unable to stifle a laugh at the predicament. Tabitha, however, remained confused.  
"What?"  
"I didn't think you'd EAT him!"  
She continued to laugh as Tabitha joined in a little out of impulse.  
"What did you think I was going to do?"  
"I don't know! Claw him to death?"  
Agatha continued to laugh at how easy it had been for Tabitha the Puss In Boots to defeat the Marquis so easily with her tricking him into turning into a mouse. And then further laughed at the irony of the revenge that she had killed him in one bite just he had done to her father and was also a shape-shifter herself, and then further at how unpredictable this day had become altogether.  
"Tabitha... You saved Carabas!"  
She smiled, to which Tabitha simply smiled back, choking on the impulsive laughter before placing a hand on her acquaintance's shoulder.  
"Not me. You did."

There was a short moment of bliss before realization dawned once more upon Agatha.  
"The guests! Ridley!"  
Tabitha too felt this realisation.  
"Right. Yes... Listen, Agatha."  
She took Agatha's hand and smiled a sad smile like she knew this was the last time she'd be able to see the woman who had helped make this day so much of a miracle.  
"What is it?"  
She inquired before Tabitha replied.  
"I'm gonna have to let you finish this yourself now... I... I can't see Ridley."  
"What?"  
"We both made a deal. It's the reason I became human in the first place... I can't let him see me."  
"What do you mean?"  
Tabitha sighed.  
"Look... It's a curse. Ridley can tell you in his own time if he wants but frankly, if we hadn't made that deal, he'd of never of met you. And I'll be honest... He seems to like you."  
Agatha beamed at this appraisal as Tabitha rested a hand on her shoulder.

"You go. Find him. And the pair of you go ahead and do whatever it is humans do and be happy. And... Just so he understands..." She moved to remove the orange bandana around her neck, the one that was once the makeshift collar her master had given her so long ago. "Take this, give it to him and tell him my name. He should get the idea soon enough."

"Thank you... Tabitha."  
She smiled, holding the orange rag in close to her chest before hugging Tabitha tightly.  
"Thank you."  
The cat smiled and awkwardly patted her on the back wishing she knew how to properly repay her new friend.  
"You're welcome..."

"... Now hurry up and find Ridley before he catches a cold down there!"


	11. STORYBROOKE

Kitty ran into the hospital. An ambulance had rushed in moments before, Emma following. There was a rush and a panic as a bed with an unconscious Henry was pulled out of the back and hurried inside. She tried following after but when she reached the ward doors...

"Miss, I can't let you in."  
"The heck are you saying? He's my friend!"  
"Miss, please wait here until we can get him stabilized."  
"I wanna see him!"  
"Kitty?"

Kitty stood and leaned over, relieving the attendant for a moment of her resistance as Emma and a rather distraught looking Regina passed through the doors.

"Emma! Where's Henry? Is he okay?"  
Emma seemed in one of her more I-Really-Don't-Need-This-Right-Now moods but managed to hold it together for a moment.  
"He's... Not... Look, he's unconscious and they're trying but..."  
"Can I just see him? For a minute?"  
Regina gave a disdainful look at the juvenile, whom despite past misdemeanors, was currently on a clean streak, but eventually nodded at Emma whom then nodded at the attendant and after a brief moment of confused resistance, she went straight through towards the ward.

There was a buzz of activity around him. Both literal and metaphorical, as he was hooked up to a heart rate monitor with about 17 different wires and there were at least as many people in there rushing like mad people in and out of the ward. One, in particular, stood out.

"Miss Rucker, what are you doing here?"  
Dr. Whale approached her and pulled her a little away from the bedside as more people rushed past.  
"Emma and Regina said I could see him"  
"Well, as you can see, he's unconscious right now and we need to... hang on."  
Whale rushed off again as another one of Henry's monitors was hooked up. Kitty stood anxiously off to the side and nervously tugged at her jumper.

Henry was really the only person who really helped Kitty out before Emma arrived in Storybrooke. Everybody else treated her either like a thief or pitied her like a stray cat. Henry was the only person who treated her like... a person.

Her eyes strayed to the side to see the book. His book. She'd seen it before, only not this close up. She stepped a little closer to it to properly look at the cover for once.

"Once Upon A Time" was written across the front in elegant gold lettering, imprinted on an aged leather-colored cover and bordered in an elaborate gold and black outline. How the heck the kid's teacher just "gave" this to him was beyond her. Then again, a few weeks or so ago she'd never been offered more than a tuna sandwich. And that wasn't even in person.

She resisted her old urge to take it and flick through its pages to see what was really in there. It wasn't hard, she knew when something was a bad idea. If the deal wasn't enough, there were just less than 10 witnesses, the book was the length of her arm and the thickness of a fairly large tuna sandwich... Not to mention, the owner was lying unconscious in the bed in front of her.

Whoever said there wasn't honor among thieves?

The fuss made her feel claustrophobic and she could barely get close to him to even say a "Hello" or a "Kid, wake the hell up already" or something. So she elected to take the decision to ask a nurse for a piece of paper and a pen. In capital letters, she scrawled a message, folded it in half and, with some minor difficulty, managed to place it on his bedside table like a Get Well Card before quietly taking her leave.

**\---**

It had been some time walking back down to town. She figured Henry would wake up soon enough... Couldn't it of been that bad? Right? He was ill and had collapsed as far as she knew. People fall over all the time. Heck, when she got a good old taste of the tarmac, all she needed was a lie-down and a tuna sandwich, not a thousand machines hooked to her body.

There was a lot she didn't understand. A lot she wasn't sure she wanted to understand.  
She didn't want to think about the chances of looking up at that night sky and knowing an 8th star. She just didn't want to.

Eventually, she found a wall. A high one where she could just sit on and think about something else. Think about something other than stars, than her best friend, than everything it reminded her of. Diverting her thoughts away to something, literally anything else.

She watched the street. People going by and about their daily business. Cars, streets, the usual, the mundane.

Nothing to attract her attention.

The moments slipped by, the feeling of something bad creeping up on her like a virus. The more she tried to push it out, the more it crept back with a vengeance.

Moments became minutes, the minutes grew longer and harsher and eventually all she could do was slide off the wall and start walking. She needed to go see him again. Properly.  
See if he'd woken up at least. She'd seen too much bad blood in her time in this town that she just felt it right to make sure the one good spark was okay. She thought about the brothers she once knew and loved...

Henry reminded her of the youngest. Her closest friend...

She paused in her thoughts as she walked until she hit the curb. The was a sudden gust of wind which blew her back a little and...

Ridley. Her brother was Ridley.

She remembered.

She stood for a second in shock and looked around. It was Storybrooke but... She remembered.

Her name was Tabitha... She wasn't human... This wasn't her home... But it was at the same time.

Other memories popped back. Cabaras, the Farm... She looked around again. Other residents had stopped dead in their tracks.

They all remembered.

She couldn't react. Didn't know how to. She looked over at a man in a coat and a hat who looked joyful but confused and at the brink of laughing.

"What's happening?"  
"What was that?!"  
"The Curse! It's broken!"  
Voices rose up from everywhere. Laughter, tears, joy, confusion, anger. It was all there.

Kitty... Tabitha... Whichever one she was now... She took a deep breath as more memories flooded back about everything and then.  
"Gold..."

She remembered the boots.

And as she remembered, the great cloud came over the town, engulfing everything.

 

_Magic... Was Back._


	12. THE ENCHANTED FOREST

The Death of the Marquis of Cabaras sparked the beginning of one of the greatest takebacks of power in Cabarisan history. Agatha, armed with another candelabra, had an extraordinary one-woman battle throughout the Citadel, unlocking the private quarters, releasing the prisoners and overall battering the Queen's royal guards in her mission to reach the dungeons, an orange scarf tying back her disheveled hair and her elegant dress ripped to shreds at the knees.

She was honestly quite the sight but as all should very well know, Cabarisian women had a habit of being strong hearted and practically damn nigh terrifying when angry.

And Agatha was at that moment channeling all of her anger through a 6ft long candelabra directly into the faces, torsos and other such painful places of every royal guard she came across. The other guests who tried following her in her quest got quite used to the sight of corridors full of groaning and incapacitated men in armor with the fair and violent maiden long out of sight.

The freeing of the dungeon's prisoners was the most crucial turning point of the battle, as once she retrieved the keys and unlocked every lock she could find, she immediately left the remaining prisoners to continue the rebellion.

Ridley lay unconscious, handcuffed and tired out of his wits in a puddle of seawater that had seeped into the dungeon's depths over time. Agatha freed him and held him up, practically hugging him to rouse him from his dazed state.  
"A...Agatha?"  
"Ridley!"  
His eyes opened to see the face of the woman that, despite only meeting that day, he had the distinct feeling of gratitude and friendship towards.  
"You're okay..." He smiled before noticed the orange bandana she wore. "What is...?"  
"I'll tell you once we get you somewhere warm and dry. Save the stories for later."  
"A... Alright..."

_\---_

The following week was a bright one.

All royal guards had been thrown out of Cabaras by order of the newly appointed Duchess Agatha Chouette and sent packing off back to the Evil Queen. Work had begun to blockade the region's entrances from any following attacks via land.

It was all too good to be true... and it just got better.

The morning began with every last Cabarisian gathering in the courtyard of the Citadel to hear the Duchess and her new Marquis, Ridley Souris. Agatha had learned of his background and decided the greatest show of strength was to appoint a commoner and a good friend as her right hand. Ridley himself was anxious but dressed in the characteristic red, gold and indigo of the Cabarasian Flag, he looked right at home beside the Duchess.

"My People!" Agatha called at to the buzzing crowd, some sitting on high ledges and walls and even lining the battlements just so they could see, causing the whole courtyard to appear to be comprised more of humans than of stone with a small cloaked statue in the middle of it all directly in front of the steps.

"We are gathered here as a show of strength and solidarity as men and women of Cabaras!"  
There was a mighty cheer before a hush was summoned by her hand.  
"We all know what happened that night. We all know what the Queen did to us. But not all will know how we took back our kingdom!"  
There was a lull in the small conversations as many had heard the extravagant tale, as such fantastical stories spread like wildfire in these parts.

The Duchess motioned to the cloaked statue and the two grinning stone masons beside it tore away the sheet to reveal a magnificent raised platform. Atop stood an Owl in a crown, both wings spread (A popular cultural symbol amongst many Cabarisians) and a Cat wearing a fine leather pair of boots. Truly a work of art. The face of the platform read bearing a golden plaque stating:

_IN MEMORY OF DUKE HAROLD CHOUETTE THE FIRST_

_~ AND ~_

_THE PUSS IN BOOTS OF_ CABARAS

There was much applause before Agatha smiled and spoke once more. "This memorial will not only stand for the memory of my father..." She said, "... But so we shall never forget the one whom truly helped us retake the kingdom of Cabaras!"

The cheering began again, with the chant of _"CABARAS! CABARAS!"_ ringing around the courtyard, both The Duchess and her Marquis smiling, Ridley especially as he saw the interpretation of his beloved cat in the stonework. In his pocket, he clutched the rag which he had learned was Tabitha's collar, gifted to Agatha after the death of the Mad Marquis, and moved forwards towards the statue to tie the orange bandana around the stone cat's neck.  
"Thank you, Tabitha..."  
He whispered before backing away, the crowd still cheering and Agatha smiling at him.

The pair had grown close given their losses and had become good friends.  
As far as they were concerned, this was the best happily ever after they could wish for, never noticing the cloaked girl with the wild hair who had been smiling, cringing and sighing throughout the whole thing before turning away towards the track back towards town.

No one saw her as she trekked along the mountain path, down the hill and sat on a stone at the sign directing to the Town Of Cabaras. She took down her hood, knowing no one was near and gazed out towards the mid-morning sun. It was bright, sunny... and she was alone.

She closed her eyes and felt herself touching her neck where the bandana had once been, remembering the old times of catching mice, playing in the barn and settling down by the fire with Ridley.

The good old times. And within a day it had all gone.

It was a new day... A new life...

 

_And her extraordinary tale was only just beginning._

**Author's Note:**

> INDEX LINK: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12932874/chapters/29635182


End file.
